Do guide dogs have culture? The case of indirect social learning

This essay challenges the conventional view of animal culture as solely stemming from direct social transmission. It argues that indirect social learning (ISL), where an individual learns from a behavior's product rather than direct observation, sustains unrecognized cultural phenomena. The authors illustrate this with the example of guide dogs, whose behavior—guiding blind people—spreads through ISL mediated by human trainers. The training practices, shaped by a successful dog's performance, are transmitted to other trainers, who then train new guide dogs. This process exhibits all characteristics of cultural behavior, highlighting a cultural co-evolutionary dynamic between dogs and humans.

Dominique Guillo, Nicolas Claidière